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WIDE AWAKE, 

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J. b/sweetland'S 



HAND BOOK OF INSTRUCTIONS 

FOR HIS 

^ AGENTS TO EDUCATE THEMSELVES 

IN THE ART OF SELLING 




I>01srTIA.C, TdUCH:.: 

Rann & Turner, Printers, Gazette 0pfice. 

1869. 



^4' 



SWEETLAND'S . 
HAND BOOK OF INSTRUCTIONS 

TO A^GEINTTS. 



This book is not only designed for the agents of the 
author, but for all others who wish to become experts 
in the art of selling patent rights — by the use of 
which any man can gain a more thorough knowledge 
of the business than he could acquire in many years 
of practice and experience, without help from any 
other source. 

It gives in detail every word almost which is neces- 
sary for an agent to say, from the time he leaves home 
until he has completed the arrangement he w^ished to 
make, secured his pay, and then it leaves him to take 
eare of himself 



It also gives in full all the particulars in regard to 
appointing agents in townships, to canvass for and 
sell any manufactured article, and at the same time 
enables the agents to see that it is for their interest to 
pay you from $50 to $100 for the privilege of acting 
as your agent, for any number of years you may 
agree upon, and have all parties concerned see they 
are making money by the arrangement. It helps you 
to get your pay, and then expects you to go on your 
way rejoicing. 

It also gives in detail the most successful method 
of canvassing for any patented article, the amount of 
money that may be made out of each town, and how 
to make it. 

It also gives a clear and distinct description of the 
way to dispose of patent rights by townships to clubs, 
which is usually called clubbing* 

It show^s why it is for a man's interest to take a 
share in a club, provided he merely wants the article 
that is being offered for sale for his own use. It 
shows him how he can make money by so doing. 

In short, it is the only Avork ever published in the 
United States, that we have ever heard of, that gives 
instructions in regard to the business of selling patent 
rights, or throws any light upon the subject, that 



5 

would enable a man to become successful in the 
business. Why is it ? simply because those who have 
spent a lifetime in the business before becoming suffi- 
ciently versed in the art to make it profitable to them- 
selves, are not disposed to let slip easily that which 
has cost them so much to obtain. 

The author has been engaged in the business of in- 
venting and selling patent rights for the past twenty 
years. But few men have taken out more patents. 
He is still engaged in the business, and prepared to 
give j^ersonal piivate instructions in thj^ art, to those 
who desire it, that they may have the benefit of not 
only his own experience, but what he has learned 
from others. 

This book is entitled Wide Aw^vke, or an Eye 
Behind the Scenes, which may be had at my fac- 
tory, by enclosing the small sum of One Dollar, and 
addressing J. B. Sweetland, Pontiac, Michigan. 

Parties purchasing this book will see at once why 
it is for their interest to keep its contents to them- 
selves. We want agents everywhere to sell these 
books. There is hardly a work in the country that 
will meet with such general favor. 

The first thing for a man to do who wishes to act 
as an agent, is to buy a copy, read it, and satisfy 



himself that it is a work of genuine merit, and one 
that will sell everywhere, where people live. 

Any information in regard to this business may be 
had by calling upon J. B. S^veetland, at Pontiac, 
Michigan, or at his rooms No , at the 

After a young man had been out trying his hand, 
for about a week, and he had availed himself of these 
instructions, he surprised his friends by telling them 
of his success. They said to him — " when did you 
learn to sell patent rights, and where did you gain 
that practical knowledge, which must have taken 
years to acquire? You are young, yet you seem to 
have a clear knowledge of the business, in all its va- 
ried departments. How is it, Charley ? how did you 
avail yourself of it ? come, tell us.'' 

Well, Uncle, I'll tell you. I know you will keep 
the information to yourself — I wouldn't tell everybody 
—for I am just making " stamps." I spent about 
thirty minutes one evening last week, perusing J. B. 
Sweetland's book of Instruction. That's the secret of 
my success. 

This is a w^ork, the need of w^hich has been felt for 
many years, as there is hardly a man in the country 
who does not own a patent right of some kind, w^hich 



he bought thinking that, because some man knew 
enough to sell to him, of course he knew enough to 
sell to others ; but that does not necessarily follow. 

There is one little thing that every man must learn 
before he can become successful in selling a patent 
right, or any other article, and that thing is this : he 
must learn how. 

Perhaps, in order to make that point plain to you, 
it would be well to call your attention for a moment 
to a little act that was once performed by Christo- 
pher Columbus. He proposed at one time to an as- 
sembly of the Avise men of that age, to make an egg 
stand on its little end. They all declared he could 
not do it. Columbus took the egg and tapped it 
lightly on the end until he had flattened the end a 
little by cracking the shell, then it stood upright on 
the table. " But,'' said the w^hole group at the same 
breath, " if we had known that you were going to do 
it that way, Ave could have done that as Avell as you.'' 
But the point is just here, theij didnH know hovj he 
was going to do it 

And that is just the reason Avhy a man cannot start 
out and be successful in selling patent rights, until he 
has acquired the art by long experience, or has re- 
ceived instructions from some source. 



8 

Meu will buy patent rights so long as they are 
offered for sale, because they are satisfied there is 
money in them — and every man knows there is money 
in any good patent — if you know how to sell it; but 
you see there is the point, to know how to sell it 

Many a man has bought a patent right after seeing 
it thoroughly tested, and satisfyiug himself that it 
was an article of genuine merit; and believed he 
could make money out of it, any time ; and with this 
conviction he takes his deed, lays it away in his desk 
and deposits his model safely in the barn, thinking he 
is all right, and when he comes to offer it for sale, to 
his astonishment finds that people do not wish to 
invest. 

SOME OF THE REASONS WHY. 

Very likely when he first bought the right, he 
could have explained the article all right, and showed 
it up to good advantage. Had he started then, when 
he was full of confidence in the article he had pur- 
chased and in his ability to sell it, he might have 
done something at the business, without any other 
instructions than that he received from the man he 
bought of. His good luck would have been about on 
the same principle that a blind man v/ould dig pota- 



9 

toes. He would dig here and there aiid all over, 
wherever it happened, and occasionally he would 
strike a hill ; but no man can, after the lapse of time, 
take an article and give it as good a showing and ex- 
plain it as well as he can when he first bought the 
right and is confident of success. 

He seems to think he has a mint of money just at 
his finger ends, and all he has to do in order to realize 
any amount of money out of it is, to sell out his pat- 
ent to every man he may chance to meet, at any price 
he may have a mind to charge for it. 

We are of the opinion that a man could make 
money fast in that way, but here is the point — ho'w 
are you going to do it f 

He don't seem to think but that every man will 
have it at any cost, the moment he offers it for sale. 
With this conviction, he considers the thing he has 
got will do for him to tie up to, or in other words, it 
will do to keep ; for he is fully persuaded in his ow^n 
mind that when all resources of income fail, his patent 
is like Aladdin's w^onderful lamp — which needs only 
to be rubbed, and lo ! the horn of fortune is suspend- 
ed before him, at an angle of forty-five degrees, with 
its large end down, and untold wealth rolling at his 
feet, and all that remains for him to do is to replenish 



10 

liis empty purse at will, and go on his way rejoicing. 
When he finds that his patent does not sell, just as he 
had pictured to himself it w^ould, years ago, w^hen he 
first bought, he declares that he has been duped, and 
that the whole patent right business, from beginning 
to end, is one grand swindle. IsnH that a fact f 

As in our own experience, in years gone by, when 
we first embarked in the business of selling patent 
rights, or patented articles, it would have been money 
in our pocket had an opportunity like this ofiered 
itself, when we might have bought for the trifling 
sum of one dollar, the knowledge which it has taken 
the writer of this little volume twenty years to gain. 
To have bought it, although had it cost five hundred 
dollars, would have been the best investment Ave ever 
made. 

Thus we come, like the Good Samaritan, to help 
those who cannot help themselves, and to lend a help- 
ing hand to those who are not able to extricate them- 
selves from the difiiculty into which their want of 
judgment about things they know nothing about, has 
led them ; and to assist them in recovering the money, 
with compound interest, which they have invested, 
(and in many cases years ago,) in a patent right, 
which, even now, if handled properly, might be made 



11 

a source of great profit to the owner of the right and 
a blessing to others. 

As there always will be patent rights to sell, of ar- 
ticles too, of genuine merit, there will, of course, be 
a constant demand for agents, at the very highest 
wages ; and right here I ivarit to say that one hundred 
dollars per month, and all expenses borne, is considered 
low wages for a first class salesman. 

There is hardly any w^ay by which a man can make 
so much money in so short a time, as by selling a 
patent right that everybody will buy ; and knowing 
this to be the case, and knowing the demand there is 
for a work of this kind — after trying many different 
methods of selling territory and disposing of rights— 
we have prepared this little volume, wdiich, we feel 
confident, will meet Avith general favor throughout 
the whole country. 

The following private instructions are the result of 
long experience, and those who desire to become 
masters of the business, and make it a source of great 
profit to themselves and a blessing to the public, 
should study well these instructions, and commit to 
memory a method of showing the article you have, so 
that you can tell your story correctly, without diflJ- 
culty and every time alike. 



12 

You should also handle the article before people 
and show up its good qualities every time an oppor- 
tunity offers itself, and become perfectly familiar with 
it, so that when you find your man, you can handle 
it with ease and confidence. 

Another key to success, is to have the model of the 
article you are selling made just as nicely as it can 
be made, regardless of what it may cost. 

Now, as we have the best Horse Hay Fork, proba- 
bly ever patented, an article that has been thoroughly 
tested and proved itself a perfect success, in every 
case, in order to illustrate our ideas more clearly and 
make them plain to every one, we will suppose that 
the article to be sold is a Horse Hay Fork, and as 
that happens to be the article we are engaged in, at 
the present time, it w^ill be as well to use that as a 
case in hand. But the general rules and principles 
herein laid down Avill hold good, we think, in selling 
any other article, by simply changing the name and 
revising the programme a little, to suit the case. 

Now suppose a fork, for ordinary use, cost ten dol- 
lars, and a fork made nicely to use in selling rights, 
will cost you one hundred dollars ; it will always pay 
to take the nice fork at one hundred dollars, although 
at the same time you tell a man that you are dealing 



with, that the ordinary forks, such as he must expect 
to get, will not be finished like the model, but only 
so that it is sufiicient to do the work that it is intend- 
ed for ; and he will always say " of course not, for 
that is only a model." But if you hold the nice fork 
where he can see and handle it, you wall sell to him. 
Whereas if you should carry the kind of a fork that 
you told him he must expect to get, he wouldn't look 
at it, nor talk buy — why, he would laugh at you. 

All experienced agents w^ill agree with me in this : 
that if any one violates that rule and others herein 
laid down, he will be apt to incur the mortification of 
failing in his enterprise. 

PALL, WINTER AND SPRING, TO SELL. 

Some new agents think cold weather unfavorable 
for selling patent rights, but that is a mistake. The 
winter and spring is the best time in the year, as the 
farmers have but little to do but fodder and take care 
of the stock. They have long winter evenings and 
plenty of time to talk, and are not off in the fields a 
mile from the house. An agent can do as much in 
the short days of winter as in the long days of sum- 
mer, and much more pleasantly. 



14 

Our experience has taught us that it is just as easy 
and takes no more time nor talk, to take a man^s or- 
der for a fork with a profit of six or seven dollars, 
than it would to sell a paper of pins, with a profit of 
three or four cents ; or to appoint him as an agent, 
with a profit of sixty or eighty dollars ; and the 
nicest time in the world to do a thing of that kind, 
is when you are sitting by a good, comfortable fire, in 
mid winter, when all is dreary and cheerless without. 

ALLOTMENT OF TERRITORY. 

An agent is usually allowed a whole county at a 
time, as his ground to canvass, until he has appointed 
agents in every township. 

He is required to report every week and give a list 
of all the agents appointed up to the date of such 
report. 

ONE THING AT ONE TIME. 

We insist that none of our agents operate with 
more than one thing at one time, as two or more ar- 
ticles are sure to distract his attention, and in almost 
all cases prevent the sale of either ; or if you are 
appointing agents, your man will think you haven't 



conidence in either, and will refuse to take an agency 
from ♦^he fact he can't tell which article would sell the 
best ; and as you tell about as good a story for one 
as the ether, he will get the merits of the articles so 
mixed up in his head, that he finally concludes the 
only safe thing for him to do, is not to take either. 

No man can serve well two masters. Never take 
another business in connection with this, unless it 
should be something that naturally belongs with it, 
and one article will help the sale of the other ; for 
instance it is necessary to use a Rafter Hook with a 
Horse Fork, so they should be taken and sold to- 
gether. 

This book may be taken with any patent right, be- 
cause it not only does not stand in the way of any 
thing ever offered to the public, but on the contrary, 
it shows him how to proceed at once to dispose of 
any patent right. Men will frequently buy territory 
if they can have the benefit of these instructions to 
assist them. But to take two or more articles of a 
diflferent character, that are not designed one to help 
the sale of the other, it looks inconsistent. We want 
no agents who intend to follow two kinds of business 
at the same time. 

Many a man has fiiiled to succeed in the business 



16 



just on that account, when, perhaps, he had a /nrst 
rate article to sell ; but when he started out l;e was 
not quite sure that the good article would tale well 
and sell readily, so in order to make a sure tHng of 
it, he would take a half dozen things, more or less, 
at the same time, and when he undertook tf> sell to a 
farmer, he would be very likely to go to \y6rk some- 
thing like the following : / 

"Good morning, Mr. Jones. Can I sell you a 
patent right, this morning?" 

" No," says Jones. 

" Well, can you tell me who wants to buy one ?" 

" No, I don't think I can." 

That ends the conversation, and he starts off in 
disgust, desperately astonished to think that Mr. 
Jones did not buy, when, in fact, in his anxiety to sell, 
he had even forgotten to show the articles, or tell him 
what he had got. 

He starts off, thinking surely the next man will 
buy ; but he gets only a few rods, when Mr. Jones 
says : 

" Stranger, what patent right are you selling ?" 

Now his heart comes up into his mouth, he thinks 
he has a sure thing ; he stops his horse, hitches him to 
the f.nce, grabs his fork and a patent wagon jack in 



17 

one hand, gathers up some other things under the 
other arm, and " goes for him," saying at the same 
time that he had " brought a variety in order to please 
everybody.'' He steps up to him now confident of 
'success, thinking that he has a sure thing on him ; he 
wouldn't take fifty dollars for his chance. He says : 
" Mr. Jones, this is the Gray Eagle Horse Hay 
Fork, patented in 1869 ; it is the best fork in use. One 
horse can do the job in a very few fork fulls." 

" Is that so ?" says Mr. Jones, " I want a good fork, 
if I can find one that suits me. I have got two now, 
but they don't suit me ; they are not what I want. 
One of them is too heavy, and the other is a harpoon ; 
they don't suit me. But stranger I like the looks of 
this fork. Let us go to the barn, I would like to see it 
put into the hay and see how it works. How do you 
sell county rights, say this county ?" 

" O, about three hundred dollars." 

" Well, let us go and try it in the hay. I've got a 
son that isn't able to work, and he thinks he could do 
something of this kind." 

" Well, well Mr. Jones, don't be in a hurry, I've 
got lots of things you haven't seen yet. Here is 
Sweetland's Star Kafter Hook : it goes with the fork." 

"Well, stranger, what's that?" 



18 

" O, that's a patent Wagon Jack. Let me sell you 
a few counties in that — it's a big thing — and every- 
body will buy them." 

" Well," says Jones, ^' I am in something of a hur- 
ry, I would like to see that fork stuck in the hay, as I 
must go to town this afternoon." 

" Well, just hold on a little. Here is a machine 
for raising boats that have been sunk. I will sell 
you a county in that almost at your own price. I'll 
let you have ^^ as cheap as dirt, and it's a big thing, 
for every time you get a job you get a big pile of 
money." 

By this time Mr. Jones begins to feel a little curi- 
ous, and he thinks he will see how much the agent 
knows. He says " that's so," and asks : 

" What's that thing ?" 

" O that's a Fanning Mill and Washing Machine, 
combined ; it's a nice thing. It will sell like hot 
cakes. Here is a Propeller Wheel ; I would like to 
sell you a county in that ; and here is a patent Bomb 
Shell, which is a big thing. Can't I sell you a lot of 
counties in these things? you can get rich out of 
them. I'll sell them right. You see, Mr. Jones, I 
came prepared, so if one thing didn't suit I would 
have something else that would." 



10 
" So I see," s>ays Jones. " AV'liat will you take for 

the lot r 

You see by this time Mr. Joues has got the things 
so mixed up in his mind, that he has no notion of 
buying now, but he thinks he Avill have some fun. 
But he would have bought if he had been shown but 
the one thing and taken when he was in the notion. 

" Well, I will take a thousand dollars a county, all 
round." 

Mr. Jones makes no reply. The agent waits awhile 
and then says : 

" Yes, as I want money just now, I'll take five hun- 
dred dollars a county." 

Still Jones says nothing. The agent then says — 
" Well now, to come right down to business, I'll 
just take one hundred dollars a county." 

Still no response from Jones. Finally, the agent 
being determined to sell any how, he says : 

" Well, Mr. Jones, there is no use in bantering, 
just give me ten dollars a piece, all round, and I will 
give.you a county in each ; or, if you won't give that, 
what will you give ?" 

Now Jones begins to laugh and says : 

" How long have you been in the business T' 



'^ Well, Jones, you need not say anything about it, 
but I just started out this morning, to try it on." 

" I thought so,'' says Jones. 

" Well, can't I sell you a few counties in the fork ?" 

" Did you ever see it pitch hay?" 

" No, not exactly." 

" Did you ever work it in any way ?" 

" Well no ; but they say it's all right. You bet- 
ter let me sell you a county." 

You see Mr. Jones is pretty well disgusted — so is 
the agent — when he replies, " I think I will not in- 
vest to-day." The agent is anxious to get out of sight 
and says no more about it, but takes his traps and 
leaves, glad to be alone. He knows he did not sell 
to him, but cannot tell exactly why. He showed him 
everything he had and asked him to buy, but he 
would not. 

Now if he had just studied this little book thor- 
oughly, one night, he never would have gone to work 
in that way ; and when Mr. Jones was in the notion 
of buying the fork, he would have been apt to have 
sold it to him. 

Here is something you will find to be true. We 
were once told that the best time in the year to cut 
hog yokes, was whenive had found them. That is a 



21 

fact ; and the best time in the year to sell patent 
rights is when you have found a man who is ready to 
buy. Just stick a peg there. 

There is a great variety of wrong ways to approach 
a man you wish to sell to, but only one right way; 
and even that may vary according to circumstances, 
for no two men hardly can be approached exactly 
alike. Everything depends on your making your- 
self agreeable to the man you wish to sell to. 

Usually, after passing the time of day, you should 
have something to say about his farm, or his fine 
buildings, or handsome stock ; speak of the comfort- 
able looking home he has, or how flattering his crops 
look ; notice his little boy or girl and have some kind 
word for them — for kind words cost nothing — and if 
the man has got a heart, they will always find a way to 
it and unlock it. Speak about his fine barns, say 
how nicely they are adapted to the use of a Horse 
Fork. After he begins rather to like your ways, then 
he is prepared to look on the bright side of any thing 
you may have to say. People usually are fond of 
being flattered a little, and are even willing to pay 
for it, if it is done nicely. If you see, in the course 
of conversation, that he is inclined to do the talking, 
let him do the most of it» After vou have told him 



22 

that you are iiitrodiicing a new fork into the country, 
and that you have no doubt it will please him, say 
you will just show it to him and explain its working. 
Then take your fork, quietly explain it to him, and 
if convenient, show it in hay ; and if he don't say it's 
all right, he is an exception. Don't dispute anything 
he may assert positively, but if he thinks he knows it 
all, allow him to think that what he don't know isn't 
worth knowing ; and while he is busy talking and 
thinking about the fork, you must be making up your 
mind from what he says, and the vf ay he acts, how to 
approach him and get an order for a fork. After 
you have become satisfied on that point, endeavor to 
make him see that it is for his interest to have a fork 
as soon as he can get one ; then if the supply ruus 
short he will be sure to have one. 

When your business is introduced, if you find that 
you have to do the talking, be very careful to talk 
right. Always tell yonr story so that he will have 
no reason to doubt you, for the first thing to be done 
is to gain the confidence of your man. When that 
is done, success is almost certain. Then if you have 
an occasion to give it a practical test, it will work 
better than you had represented. That will give him 
confidence in you, and instead of watching, expecting 



23 



to see you cross yourself in your representations, he 
will listen, and your chance of success is good. 

If you have no particular basis to work upon, and 
don't know exactly what you are going to say, but 
expect to say whatever comes handy, you will be 
very likely to cross yourself in your conversation, 
without intending to be dishonest ; and if you have 
a first rate fork, the truth is better than false- 
hood. 

Another important thing is, that you know when 
you have said enough and end there, for it is not un- 
frequent that agents talk a man into buying and then 
talk him out again. 

After a man is satisfied that you have got the best 
fork he ever saw, and he is satified with the working 
of it, let that part rest ; don't keep showing him how 
nice it is and how well it works. If he is satisfied on 
that point, it is quite sufficient. He couldn't any 
more than be satisfied if you talked to him all 
day. 

The next thing is to have him say that he has 
made up his mind to go into it — and, you should give 
him a chance to say it — and if he seems to hesitate 
and don't say it, just take your order book and show 
him who of his neighbors have given their orders, 



24 

and what a fine list of orders you have. Say to him, 
" write your name there on that line." 



One of the best ways for you to proceed as an 
agent is, to get a few of the best men, in any neigh- 
borhood, to head the list of orders. It always influ- 
ences others. 

In selling humbugs, or worthless articles of any 
kind, it requires rascals and unprincipled men to 
handle them. Nine times out of ten, they will carry 
a model that is too small to be worked, so that they 
won't be expected to work it practically, and they 
will endeavor to show that it will work, of course, be- 
(.^ause the model works. They will represent that 
they are manufacturing on a large scale, away off 
somewhere, and that you can get any amount of the 
articles on short notice ; when, in fact, there never 
has been but one made, and that is the model you 
have seen, and they never expect to make another. 

But in offering this fork, as it is an. article of mer- 
it, and all we claim for it, the names of some of the 
best farmers, agriculturists, machinists, or other relia- 
ble men, that the community looks up to as sound 
men, to head your list of orders, you will find to be 
greatly to your advantage, as it will give tone and 



25 

character to the enterprise. You will lose nothing by- 
giving a fork to some leading farmer of a neighbor- 
hood, that the rest rather look up to as a kind of bell 
wether among them, or at least sell to a few of the 
best farmers at half price, and propose to take the 
balance in influence, or help ; and even then leave it 
optional with them whether they take the fork or 
not. 

In this way you will make a little on each fork you 
sell — even at half price — and be pretty sure of selling 
a dozen more in a town than you would have sold 
without such influence. 

Never take the names of farmers who are in rath- 
er straitened circumstances, or who would be con- 
sidered rather common men, to head the list of orders, 
and then attempt to get influential men to follow 
after them on the list ; for they won't be likely to 
listen to you very attentively, because such men feel 
as though they ought to have been called on first, 
knowing the position they occupy in society ; they 
don't like to have their names appear following those 
whom they consider of less importance than them- 
selves. 

When you take conditional orders, which are left 
optional with the parties whether they take the fork 



26 

or not, you should place a capital O — Avhicli means 
optional — at the end of the lines on which their 
names have been signed, and carry out the arrange- 
ment honestly when the forks are delivered, as per 
agreement. If you take this course, every man you 
deal with will be your friend ; and if you happen to 
go into the same neighborhood at another time, 
whether you have the fork or something else, you will 
find this time that you are not among strangers, but 
they will be glad to say a word to help you ; and 
who can tell where the effect of a kind word will 
end? 

THE OUTFIT. 

You should keep the fork in a nice case or box, 
if convenient, where it will be out of sight, until 
such time as you think best to make your business 
known, then bring it before your customer. 

If you carry your fork in sight, frequently they 
\vill refuse to talk with you at all, although they may 
w^ant a fork, and will not even give you an opportu- . 
nity to show and explain your business. 1 

Usually in commencing operations in a new town, 
about the best thing to do is to go to the Supervisor 
of the town, carry nothing in sight to indicate your 



27 

business, and he will not look upon you as a pedler. 
You will be treated kindly and very likely invited 
into the house, into his private room where lie does 
his business — especially if it happens to be ivintev 
iveather — and that is exactly where you want to see 
him, alone. Having passed the usual polite saluta- 
tion, you will begin to inquire something about the 
country and what the staple articles of produce are, 
and if there is usually much hay out in the vicinity, 
etc., and when you think you have got to the right 
place, in the course of the conversation, to make your 
business known, ask him what kind of horse forks 
they use in that section of country ; and after you 
have canvassed that point to } our satisfaction, you 
will say : 

'' I am introducing a new kind of horse fork into 
this part of the country, and have called on you to 
show you the fork and to explain it to you ; and if 
convenient, to let you see it work, and if it pleases 
you and j^ou think you can recommend it, I would be 
pleased to have you assist me a little in this town, as 
you are well acquainted with all of the princij^al 
farmers, and know who to go to. It is an article of 
genuine merit, and a tool that you know farmers wdll 
have, when they see one that suits them. I think, 



28 

with your assistance, I might get the business so 
started, in a short time, that an agent could sell a 
great many this year ; and perhaps after you see that 
it takes well and pleases people, you may find it to be 
for your interest to secure the agency. I will shovf 
you the fork and explain it to you." 

Then take the fork from the box and if convenient, 
go where there is hay, so he can see it more clearly ; 
show him the way it is put into the hay, how easy it 
is done, and that by pressing in the sliding tine, after 
the other tw^o tines are in, how it compresses the hay 
all the time you are pressing it in, as well as binding 
it in firmly ; that the single tine passes between the 
other two, thus preventing them from springing 
either w^ay. Point out to him the lock, the way it is 
guarded, and the advantages it has over all others. 

Just here we will say, have all your papers and 
especially your blanks — deeds or contracts — , got up 
in as tasty a manner as possible, so that every thing 
you display has an air of business about it. 

You should carry your papers folded nicely and 
put up in a large envelope just long enough to take 
them in the whole length, after folding. The envel- 
ope should have a cut of the fork on one end, with 
other printed matter, something like the following : 



ENVELOPE. 




From 



To 



Special Agent for the 
GRAY EAGLE HORSE HAY FORK, 

For the town of. ■ 

County of. and 

State of.. 



so 

Take your envelope from your pocket — and keep 
it looking nicely — and take out your circular and 
read it to him, slowly and carefully, until you come to' 
the reasons why this fork will be used, etc. Then 
you should take up each point separately, and enlarge 
on them somewhat — not read it over as soon as possi- 
ble, as though you had just so much to do, and was 
in a hurry to get through — but something like the 
following : 

" It is cheap and light to handle — and that is quite 
an item if you have boys to help in haying — and it 
costs but a little over one-half what some others cost." 

" It is not liable to get out of repair, as it is all 
made of steel and iron, and you will admit that any 
tool made of steel and iron will be more durable than 
wood and iron." 

" It has no angular points to catch on beams, posts, 
braces and the like, and you will find that you will 
never have any trouble in drawing hay into a window 
by the fork catching or striking the side of the win- 
dow, and bothering in that way." 

The draft is from one side of the fork, and is so ad- 
justed that it does not start its whole load at the same 
time, but tears one side loose at a time ; by this sim- 
ple arrangement it requires but half the team to do 



31 

tlie same labor, and there is ouly half the strain on 
the rafters, or on the rope and pulleys/' 

" It penetrates the hay easily, so that any boy who 
can load hay can handle the fork— which is a great 
id vantage to many a farmer — for with those heavy 
forks, it is>ll a man can do to use them, and a boy 
iias no business trying to use them." 

" This fork has no equal in unloading barley and all 
kinds of fine stuff, that no other fork can handle, be- 
cause it compresses it, and the tines passing through 
it in opposite directions hold it firmly together." 

" It discharges its load easily at the instant you 
pull the trip rope, and without pulling hard, and does 
not scatter tlve hv.j ; and there is no possible chance 
for the fork to unload itself until the trip repeals 
pulled, for you see the lock is so perfectly guarded 
that nothing ca;] strike it to unlock it." 

" The most of forks aie tripped from one side, and 
cannot be trij^ped easily from the opposite side, for in 
turning the fork around you wind the trip rope round 
it ; but in using this fork there is no dijEculty of that 
kind, an the trip /ope comes out of the center of the 
[lead, RTid it trips as well from one side as from the 
3ther." 

"It is perfectly adapted to stacking hay and grain, 



32 

and nothing can be more convenient for that purpose 
for it is small and light, and yet it will take all you 
wish it to, and it drops its load flat on the stack, just 
as you want it, and does not roll it up in a wad." 

" It can be loaded quickl} and is the best finished 
fork in the market. It takes well, people like it and 
will buy it ; and that is the key to success. It is the 
only fork that is free from all objections and adapted 
to every variety of w^ork.'' 

You must propose to be liberal \ irii him and in- 
duce him to get into your carriage and go with you, 
and you will have access to men that he is acquaint- 
ed with, and who know him to be a '/.an of integrity, 
that you never could reach without that [kind of help. 
You will find that course of action will help you right 
along, when it would take you a lon^: time to get 
started alone. 

If. you chance to call on a man and for some rea- 
son he does not see fit to give yoa.his older at that 
time, you should endeavor to uiake it convenient to 
call on him the second time after you have secured a 
pretty respectable array of names of men who have 
given orders, and after he has had time to think the 
thing over, he will rather regret having let you go 
without giving an order. When you return and show 



33 

him the names of his neighbors and friends, who have 
given their orders, he will usually conclude to do as 
they have done, and give his order also. You will 
find this to be the .case frequently. 

If you chance to meet another agent in the same 
business, or nearly so, avoid entering into a debate 
with him before a crowd, unless you are thoroughly 
posted and sure you can wipe him out ; a failure un- 
der such circumstances, w^ould be sure to injure you, 
and you might as w^ell go somewhere else and start 
anew. But if you understand your fork thoroughly, 
say to him quietly, right before the crowed, that such 
kind of talk will not satisfy you nor any one else ; 
that it would appear more as though he believed what 
he said if he would come right along with you and 
test the fork and let the people be judges for them- 
seWes, and not be obliged to take his word for it. If 
you do test them, he will be quite certain to get beat- 
en, but if he don't try it, those who stand by will 
think you have the best fork. 

Endeavor to get from every leading man, whether 
farmer or otherwise, after he has examined the 
fork and seen its merits tested, a written recommen- 
dation — which he will readily give — in regard to 
the merits of the fork, after he has seen the comment 



34 

dations of other leading men. You will find they 
will be a great help, in adding them to your list of 
references, in the neighborhood where they are 
known. 

About the best w^ay is to have them WTite the names 
of those they would advise you to call on, in your 
pocket diary. You can then go to the parties, call 
them by name, viz : 

" Is this Mr. Jones T 

" That's my name." 

" Well, my name is Haines. Mr. Davis advised 
me to call on you and show you an article which I 
am introducing through this section of country. It 
has been thoroughly tested," &c., &c. . 

Take out your hand bill — after you have produced 
your fork and shown it up — and proceed to give in 
detail its advantages. 

If you consider his name a desirable one to be on 
your list, or if he happens to be a hard case to sel| 
to, if he pleads poverty, and you can't get his order^^ 
you can say that you have been informed that he is 
one of the leading men of the town (if that be the 
case) and that if he thinks you have got a good thing, 
you would like to have his name on your list, condi- 
tionally, and leave it optional with him, Avhen you 



35 

come round delivering, to take the fork or not, even 
at lialf price, and give him a written statement to 
that effect. 

You should always be polite and gentlemanly in 
your conversation and deportment, and you will al- 
ways be treated w^ell. You never should offer any 
article for sale that you do not believe is all you rep- 
resent it to be. In short you should have confidence 
in the article you are selling and feel that you are 
conferring a benefit on those you sell to. Your suc- 
cess depends in a great measure on the confidence you 
have in the article you are selling. 

You should endeavor to observe the different speci- 
mens of humanity with which you may come in con- 
tact, and should approach some men in one manner 
and others in another ; adapting yourself to the pe- 
culiarities of each. You will, by pursuing this 
course, wonderfully increase your influence and success. 

You should feel that you are doing good by introduc- 
ing an article of merit, and justw^hat you are represent- 
ing it to be — as though you w^ere conferring a benefit 
as well as asking a favor. With this conviction in 
your heart, your manners and language will be such 
as to carry conviction with it, and success. is almost 
certain. 



36 

If, in the outset, you do not have very good luck, 
and don't succeed as well as you would wish to, be 
careful not to betray your feelings to others ; but 
scra-tch around and get a few conditional subscribers 
to help you to get a start ; carry as pleasant a face 
and as light a heart as you can, under the circum- 
stances, and not let people know, by word or deed, 
that you have got the blues and are about to sink in 
despair. Keep up a cheerful countenance and go to 
work as though you had been in the habit of doing a 
large and prosperous business in the past and expect 
to in the future. 

People like to help those who are doing well and 
trying to help themselves, while they seem to be ever 
ready to assist in kicking those down who have al- 
ready commenced to stumble. 

It is a well known fact to those who have been in 
the business, and rather a singular one, that agents 
who canvass and take orders for any article, will take 
at least thirty orders in the same time that they could 
have sold five or six for cash ; for almost all men are 
more ready to engage to pay out money for an article 
at some future time, than they are to purchase and 
pay for it now. There seems also to be a fondness 
existing, to have one's name before the community 



37 

as being one of the first to receive into his neighbor- 
hood some new farm implement, which he knows to 
be an article of genuine merit, especially when ac- 
companied by names of other men whom he knows 
to be very respectable. 

The object in getting orders and having them 
headed by good, reliable men, is because after the 
thing is well started, it Avill go like v/ild-fire. Men 
frequently give their order because their neighbors 
have given theirs ; and the showing of your model 
will make but small impression, compared vath the 
unfolding and reading of a long array of names, 
Vv^hich seem to strike the person with a sort of irre- 
sistible desire to have his name there also, fearing he 
w^ould not have another opportunity ; of course then, 
when he is all carried away Vv^ith the idea of possess- 
ing the article, and is surprised at your good luck, 
then is the time to hand him the pen, to sign his name 
to the order you have filled out for him. You should 
act as though you expected of course he would sign 
his name, and as though all you had to do about the 
matter was to show him where to put it. On that 
line, sir. 



You should never attempt to appoint an agent, or 



38 

even talk in detail about the business to men in 
groups, at public gatherings, county fairs, and the 
like, although it is a good place to exhibit the fork, 
and get the names of men that you think will pay 
you to hunt up at some other time, and call on them. 
Those whom you would try to deal with are full of 
business, at such times, and don't want to be bothered, 
and in order to get rid of you and not to have you 
bother them, they will refuse you altogether ; and if 
you chance to call on them at their homes, they will 
remember that they refused you once, and see no rea- 
son why they should reverse the decision now. But 
when you have shown up the fork at such places, and 
have left every man favorably impressed, then when, 
you call upon them at their homes, with no one to 
influence them, they will remember how well they 
liked the fork when they saw it before, and the gen- 
eral satisfaction it gave, and they will feel free to act 
in the matter and do as they please, Avith none to 
molest or make them afraid. Under such circum- 
stances, your chance of success is much greater. 

HOW TO TREAT OBJECTIONS GENERALLY. 

When you are engaged in showing your fork, and 
your customer undertakes to raise objections, and 



S9 

seems rather inclined to wish to argue the matter, the 
best way generally to dispose of such cases is, not to 
try to answer their objections, or argue the point, but 
go on with your story, very kindly, until they have 
forgotten their objections. 

This is a great deal better than to argue the matter, 
for if you succeed in refuting their arguments, they 
wdll then feel defeated, and it produces a feeling of 
opposition, which is hard to overcome. But by j)ay- 
ing no attention to what they say, they soon forget 
themselves and lose sight of their objections, by fol- 
lowing you in what you have to say, and if your con- 
versation is kind and pleasant, they will soon fall 
into your train of thought, and to a considerable ex- 
tent, think as you do. 

It is not a good plan to take orders from some men 
and sell forks right out to others, for before the time 
comes for delivering, those who took their forks when 
you were around taking orders, have used them, and 
their neighbors who gave orders have been over and 
seen it work and have tried it, and by the time you 
come to deliver, the novelty has worn off, to a great 
extent, and they will make up their minds that they 
had been a little too fast in giving their orders ; so 



40 

very likely they will plead poverty or clecliiie taking 
it altogether. 

You should have men who give their orders, sign 
their own name, or it will be worthless, unless they are 
willing to take the fork they ordered when you deliver 
it. 

You should keep your fork in your own hands as 
much as possible, when you are showing it, for those 
who are not familiar with it will be likely to make 
some blunder and perhaps pinch their fingers, or 
handle it awkwardly, and sometimes conclude they 
cannot learn to use it, and refuse to give their order ; 
when if you had kept it in your own hands, they 
would have seen how easily you handled it, and nat- 
urally enough come to the conclusion that they could 
handle it just as well and will give an order at once. 

You should always provide yourself with a coun- 
ty map of the territory you are canvassing, then, at 
the proper time, display your map with the tov/ns 
you have disj)osed of marked sold — if you are selling 
territoTy — and if appoivding agents, marked taken — it 
has the appearance of business and carries a good 
impression with it. 

When you have found the man that you propose to 
sell to — if vou can — and have introduced yourself^ 



41 

you should never ask : " do you waut to give an order 
for a horse fork?" the answer would be "no/' of 
course ; for at that time it is not probable that such 
a desire exists, for he has never seen the fork and 
knoNYS nothing about it ; but show him the fork, ex- 
plain its AYorkings and advantages, &c., as per hand 
bill, and you create a desire to obtain it. 

You should post yourself thoroughly, so that when 
you wish to exhibit the fork, you can show it up to 
good advantage ; point out its good qualities in such 
a wav that your customer will see it as vou do. 

You should talk in a low, distinct, confidential tone, 
not as though you were rehearsing something you had 
committed to memory, but as though you expected, as 
a matter of course, he would give you an order, and 
if done with an air of politeness, you will be quite 
certain of success — if your man has not already got 
a fork. And he will make an order quite frequently 
when he has one, if it does not just suit him, some- 
times because he thinks your fork is just the thing he 
wants, and not unfrequently because he has taken a 
liking to you ; for here is a fact that people do not. 
generally know^ — and that is this — a large proportion 
of all the orders you take ayIII be given because you 



42 

have acted like a gentleman and have been polite, 
and they were rather pleased with you. 

In canvassing for forks, v;hen you stay over night 
with a man who has given you an order for a fork, 
you can propose to him in the morning, to let you 
give him credit on the order he has given you, for 
the amount, and he will be glad to make a turn of 
that kind usually ; or, if he has not given you an or- 
der, propose to him to just give you his order for a 
fork, and that you will give him credit on the order 
for your bill. Frequently you vfill get an order in 
that way when they have refused to give an order 
before. It Avill depend much on your ability to use 
that wonderful art of pleasing. 

We have confined our remarks thus far mostly to 
the most successful method of canvassing for the fork 
or any other manufactured article. 

If you would become successful in canvassing for 
any article, you have a certain course of action to 
follow, in order to make the business a success and 
make it pay. 

But if you wish to appoint agents to do the can- 
vassing, that requires quite a different programme of 
action, in order to be suQcessful in that department of 



48 

the business. I shall endeavor to give you some 
idea how that may be done profitably and fairly. 

We will suppose still that we wish to appoint agents 
to canvass for the Gray Eagle Horse Fork. . Now 
suppose I am instructing you to go out and appoint 
agents for me. 

The very first thing to be done is to study the rules 
hereinafter laid down ; commit them all to memory, 
it's a short job. 

The next thing is to secure a model fork — just as 
nice as it can be made — so it pleases you to look at 
it ; then you should practice with it, both in the hay 
and out of it, until you become perfectly familiar 
with it, in every respect. Then you should under- 
stand putting up the rope and jmlleys, and rigging it 
to do business and practice at pitching hay from one 
side of the mow to the other, if you can do no better. 
When that is all done thoroughly, you should prac- 
tice showing it up, to a friend, until you have learned 
just what to say and when to say it. You should 
practice on him as though you were really appoint- 
ing him an agent, and he should make all the ob- 
jections he can, reasonably — that any body Avould 
make — and you play your part until you understand 
it from beginning to end ; so that when you commence 



44 

business you may be fluent and have all the argu- 
ments at your tongue's end. Then when you reach 
your ground to go to work, you will not be at a loss 
how to act nor what to say. 

The next thing to be done is to secure a good, re- 
spectable looking carriage, with one or two good 
horses. Tnjo are better than one, for it has more the 
appearance of business and looks as though you 
must be making money, and the inference they will 
naturally draw from that is, that you must have a 
good selling thing ; and experience and observation 
has taught me that the general appearance of an 
agent, his trappings and outfit, has much to do wdth 
his success. 

It is always the best way for two good men to go 
together, in this business; you should choose your 
companion with reference to his dignified appearance 
and honest face, and, if possible, an honest heart also, 
as it does not require a rascal to do this kind of busi- 
ness ; for you know that your fork is all you repre- 
sent and an article of merit, and you may feel that 
you are introducing an article that will prove a bless- 
ing to the community. With this feeling in your 
heart, you can go to work with all confidence of 
success. 



45 

Usually tlie best way is to find a man in the terri- 
tory you are going to operate in, who is well acquaint- 
ed with the country and knows something about the 
circumstances of the most of the people, and knows 
who to direct you to as being a man of the right 
kind. 

Your companion should see the fork work in some 
practical manner, and be satisfied in his own mind 
that it is all that you are representing it to be, so that 
whatever he may say in regard to its merits m^ay be 
said in good faith and without equivocation or mis- 
representation ; then you are ready to start out. 

No AY you drive up to Mr. Smith's, as your friend 
has directed you. You should always learn the 
name of your customer before you get to him, and 
know his circumstances — whether he is responsible 
or not — then you will know exactly what course to 
pursue. 

After an introduction, which should be as courte- 
ous and agreeable as possible, calling the individual 
by name, and giving your own name, if your friend 
cloes'not introduce you, say : " We are engaged in 
introducing into this vicinity a valuable farm imple- 
ment ; it is something that every farmer needs ; it has 
])een thoroughly tested, highly approved and com- 



46 

mended by those who have examined its merits. It 
is meeting with general favor everywhere it has be^n 
introduced." 

Now by this time your man begins to have an 
itching to know what you have got. He rather thinks 
it must be a good thing, and is rather prepared to 
look on the bright side of it — if it has one — only he 
has resolved from the first word you spoke that he 
wouldn't buy any patent right, on any consideration. 

" But," says Mr. Smith, " I don't want to buy any 
patent right, for I have been bit once or twice now, 
and I'll never buy another." 

" We are not selling patent rights, Mr. Smith, we 
are only appointing agents, in every town throughout 
the whole United States, to sell the manufactured ar- 
" tide." 

"O that's it, is it?" says Mr. Smith. 

" Yes, sir, and we have disposed of over 2,500 
towns already." 

"I'll just show you the article, and have no doubt 
you will be pleased with it." 

Now you will produce your fork, and say as you 
bring it to sight — 

" It is a horse fork ; it is called the ' Gray Eagle ;' 
it was patented by J. B. Sweetland, of Pontiac, 



Michigan. Doubtless you have heard of him, as his 
lame is frequently mentioned in the Scientific Ameri- 
ca,:' 

ISow proceed to explain the fork, its advantages, 
&c., tj,king your circular and going to work. 

After you have set forth to good advantage all that 
you may desire to, and you think he begins to want 
to hear something else, then just say to him — 

" Mr. Smith, I'll just show you our blank contracts, 
which we use in appointing agents, and explain it to 
you." 

Then produce the envelope containing your papers 
and take the contract and read it to him, from be- 
ginning to end ; and read it as though it was filled 
out Avith his name. 

If you wish to have a sure thing, just explain to 
him that you propose to furnish him with a fork and 
what blank order books you think he will need, so 
that he can go right to work and do business without 
costing him one cent until after he has an opportuni- 
ty to make it out of the business and considerable 
more besides. 

Say that all you require of him is to guarantee to 
you one-half of the profits on twenty-five forks, and 
then shovv^ him that he Avill be making some three or 



48 

four dollars on eacli fork he sells, besides making the 
business pay for itself. / 

Then say to him that the opportunity you are of- 
fering, only one man in each town can have — imless 
two men should take it together — and that you want 
none but first rate, reliable men, who are aMve, and 
have confidence enough in the fork, and in their abil- 
ity to sell it to think they can do w^ell, by canvassing 
for the fork. 

Then wait about half a minute, and ask him about 
how many he should think he could sell by next hay- 
ing, judging from what he knows of the country and 
the people. 

Well, he will think it over and perhaps v/ill say 
seventy-five or fifty. Then you will say to him — 
" now in order to make a safe calculation, suppose 
you call it one-half of that number, or say thirty ;" 
then you go to work and fi.gure it up, and allo^v sev- 
enty-five cents for incidental expenses, freight on 
forks &c., calling the profits just six dollars. After 
making a deduction of seventy-five cents, as above 
stated, show him that after he has paid you seventy- 
five dollars, after haying next year, he will then be 
makino; one hundred and five dollars the first year, 



49 

and after that all he makes is his own, provided he 
gives an order for twenty-five forks. 

When he concludes to take the agency, don't say 
another word ; just take out your blank book and 
proceed to fill out a note for seventy-five dollars and 
have him sign it. 

But if he shouldn't exactly like the idea of giving 
his note, if he can get out of it, he will be likely to 
say, "what is that?" you say, *^this is the way we 
take our guaranties, as it will be necessary to have 
something to show that we are to have something 
some day, and this is the best way we know of" 
Perhaps he will ask, " tsiiH that a note f^ you say 
" yes, of course it is, but you don't have to pay a cent 
on it until after haying next year, and that w^ill give 
you an opportunity to make it out of the business, as 
I told you in the outset," but you keep on and fill out 
the note and get it all ready for him to sign. 

Now about this time perhaps he begins to think 
you are getting rather anxious about it and that he 
will try and play off a little, and try that, so he will 
say, " why, stranger, I didn't understand that I was 
to give a note, or anything else." Then you say — 
" Mr. Smith, you must have expected to give me 
something, for see here, the contract that I read to 



50 

you says : * for and in consideration of the sum of 
seventy-five dollars, the receipt of which is hereby 
acknowledged, it being one-half of the profits of 
twenty-five forks.' We propose to appoint you as 
our agent/' &c. Then perhaps he w^ill say, *' well, sup- 
posing I don't sell enough by the time that is due, to 
pay it/' 

Now is your turn to play off, and you have got to 
do it. So you will say : 

" Well, Mr. Smith, if you think you can't sell a 
few of these forks, you are not the man we want at 
all, for we have got a first rate tool and don't pro- 
pose to tie it up, so that anybody else can't do any 
thing with it, because Ave have given the agency to a 
man who doesn't expect to do much, for we want men 
who think they can do something." 

Just here he will think he begins to see the oppor- 
tunity slipping from him, and he will be very likely 
to say — *' well, I think I can sell them if anybody 
can, and just as many as any other man." 

Then you will say, " very well, if you think you 
can sell them, I will give you the agency," and at the 
same time shove the blank book to him saying — 
^' sign your name on that line, Mr. Smith." 



51 

After looking around, enquiring and finding your 
man, there is another way to proceed, to get a man 
to take an agency, which is a very good one and fre- 
quently effectual, when all other plans would fail. 
You would go to work something like the following : 
After you have passed a polite salutation and have 
got about to the right place in the course of your 
conversation, to begin to talk about your business, 
you can just say that you are introducing some new 
farming implements into this part of the country, and 
that you would be obliged to him if he would tell you 
of some good, straightforward man, that would be 
willing to stir around a little, if he could make from 
five to twenty dollars per day ; and continue to say 
that you want to find a man that will be likely to 
attend to the business if it pays well, as the articles 
are new things which you want sold, and you expect 
to make a little out of manufacturing the goods, if 
you can find good men to sell the articles ; and say 
they have been thoroughly tested and admitted by all 
who have used them, to be the very best in the mar- 
ket, and that you want good men w^ho will do well 
for themselves and you too. " Do you know of such 
a man, Mr. Smith T 

Now about that time Mr. Smith is wondering in his 



52 

own mind what the articles are that you want agents 
to sell, and thinks also, that if there is from five to 
tAventy dollars per day for somebody, why he can't 
just as well have the chance himself as any one else. 
So he will be likely to say, " what new implements 
have you that you want sold ? perhaps I can find you 
some one." Now you will say "just step out to my 
buggy, and I'll show you and explain them to you.'' 

Now you just show your fork as well as you ever 
did, and at the same time don't act as though you 
thought he had any notion of trying it, but be very 
careful to explain what a good chance you can give 
a man, and how much profit there is on every fork 
sold, and how many there might be sold in a town, 
&c. 

After you have done that part all right, you will 
just say — 

" Do you think of any one Mr. Smith, that would 
make a good agent ?" 

Now if he w^ants the chance himself he will be al- 
most sure to ask you what kind of a chance you will 
give him. You will say — 

" I can give you a good chance, Mr. Smith, if you 
think you can sell them. How many do you think 



.53 

you cau sell in this town, between now and next hay- 
ing, Mr. Smith?" 

After he tells yon, you will proceed to explain your 
terms, as in the other case, and to close up the bar- 
gain in the same way. 

There is still another way, similar to this. After 
you have made arrangements with the Supervisor or 
some good man to go with you, just ride around w^ith 
him tor a day or two, and go to every farmer's house 
of any note and have him introduce you as a gentle- 
man who is looking around the country a little to find 
a good section of country to commence his business, 
and of course after that is said, he wants to know 
what your business is. You just hand him a circu- 
lar and say at the same time that it is possible you 
may be around that Avay — if you conclude to operate 
in that section of country — and that if you do you 
w^ill probably call on him. He will say, " yes, cer- 
tainly, call and see us, and stay all night," or some- 
thing like that. 

Don't show him your fork at all this time, but 
when you make it convenient to call on him, he is 
only too glad to see you, and is anxious to hear all 
about your fork, and very likely he will propose to 



54 

take hold of the business. Then the matter is very 
easily arranged. 

But it will be necessary sometimes to go still far 
ther, and show the amount of money there is to be 
made out of one town, by just making a mathemati- 
cal calculation, showing the business up to him so 
that he will understand it, and say, "Mr. Smith, now 
just to make the whole thing plain to you, we will 
make a little estimate on one town, and then you can 
tell better about it." 

Counties average about twenty towns each ; and 
Oakland county averages some twelve or fifteen hun- 
dred inhabitants to each town. Now, suppose two 
hundred of that number are farmers, and as nine out 
of ten of the best farmers will have horse forks in 
time, it is fair to suppose that three out of four are 
wanting them this year, if they haven't got them now, 
and taking the country together, on an average, there 
is not one farmer out of twenty-five who has a 
horse fork, or ever had, thus making an average, 
through this county, of one hundred and forty-seven 
farmers who want forks, in every town. Now, to 
make a safe calculation, supposing you sell to one- 
third of that number this year, say fifty forks, and 
two rafter hooks with each fork, this will give a 



00 

clear profit of $412.50 in each town, for somebody 
to make this year; and as counties will average some 
twenty towns each, a profit of $412.50 each town, 
would make $8,250. 

So you see if a man sells only from one to four or 
five forks per day, he is making more clean money 
than he could make on the best farm in the coun- 
try, without investing half money enough to even 
buy a team. The common price for ordinary forks, 
such as are in use in some parts of the country, has 
been from $12 to $18 each, thus you see making our 
forks come $2 cheaper than almost any fork in the 
market ; and no man will save $2 on as small an ar- 
ticle as a fork quicker than the farmer, especially 
when he is getting a great deal better article. These 
forks can be sold in every part of the country where 
people do haying. 

Sometimes when a man hesitates and don't seem to 
know what to say, in order that he may say what you 
want him to, you just say — 

^' What do you think, Mr. Smith ? how does my 
proposition please you ? Would you like to sell forks 
in this town ? You know the old maxim is, * the 
time to make money easy is when you have an op- 
portunity.'" 



56 ■ - 

These, or similar words, will frequently make tliem 
decide as you wish. 

There is still another way of disposing of patent 
rights, which is considered very good, and that is 
clubbing. Provided you have an article that will 
come into general use — and we think the fork ivilL 
The best thing a farmer can do, even if he merely 
wants to buy one for his own use, is to take a share 
in the club ; he w411 pay for his share and buy a fork 
at wholesale for less money than he could have bought 
it at retail. 

Usually, in selling towns out to clubs, they buy it 
in this way, because they want the article that is be- 
ing sold, and when they have purchased a town at 
from one to three hundred dollars, then they can buy 
tlie article at the factory, at wholesale, and thus get 
it considerably cheaper, including what they paid for 
the right, than they could have bought the same num- 
ber of articles for at retail. Now, just to make it 
plain, we ^\ill give you an example. Supposing we 
are willing to take one hundred dollars for the town 
you live in for the right of our fork. Then suppose 
we go around and find tv/enty men who want forks. 
Each of those twenty men pays us five dollars, and 
thei\ we give them, jointly, a deed for the tow^n ; of 



57 

course that club Avill get their forks at Avholesale at 
five dollars and twenty-five cents each, and each one 
has already paid five dollars in the club, so each gets 
a fork for ten dollars and tvventy-five cents, when 
they retail at tv/elve dollars, and then all the forks 
they sell to parties in the town w^ho do not belong to 
the club, they make six dollars and seventy-five cents 
on each fork. But as we are desirous of establishing 
all the agencies we can in this, for the purpose of in- 
troducing our fork all through the United States and 
Canada, next year, to those agencies we establish this 
year, we shall not charge two hundred nor three hun- 
dred dollars a town. 

Now in case your man claims that there are other 
forks in the country, and that a great many farmers 
have already got them, then you Avill say, you are 
glad to hear that there are some forks in the neigh- 
borhood, because it only goes to show that every 
farmer will have one as soon as he finds one that is 
all right, and you can the more readily show the 
advantage your fork has over others by comparing 
them, and showing them side by side, and then when 
the man that owns the fork is satisfied you have got 
the best fork, he will frequently give an order for 
another, as farmers now-a-days want to have just as 



58 

! 
good tools as their neighbors have, and as good en 

there is in the country ; and there are just fork 

enough in the country to satisfy the farmers that the} 

cannot get along without them, when they find one! 

that they consider is just right and pleases them. 

And then remind them that they are not required 
to pay a cent until after haying next year, and theyl 
will have time to make the money out of the busi- 
ness. 

Now a w^ord to those who may read this little 
volume. Of course when a man buys one he know^i 
what it treats on, and that it is designed to give in- 
structions in selling patent rights — and about all the 
object a man could have in posting himself in any 
business, would be in view of having some of that 
kind of business to do. ISTow, to those who are pre-j 
paring themselves to sell patent rights, I would just^ 
say for their encouragement, that this business willj 
always be goodwhen other kinds of business are dull* 
There are thousands of men who invent articles of 
different kinds and patent them, and when they have; 
obtained the patent, that is as far as they can go. They 
are usually farmers, or mechanics, who haven't the; 
least conception how to dispose of it, though it may. 
be ever so good a thing. And a good, reliable man 



69 

that is capable of taking a patent right and selling 
it, can command a salary of from one hundred to 
five hundred dollars per month and all expenses 
ipaid. That may look large to a man who has 
always worked on a farm, or by the day, at wages 
not exceeding three or four dollars per day. But I 
assure you that I stood by and heard a man refuse 
to go and sell a patent right for a man who offered 
him one hundred dollars per week and all expenses 
paid. And in a conversation I had w^ith the same 
man afterwards, he assured me he was then getting 
one hundred and twenty-five dollars per week and 
all expenses paid for himself and wife. Now this 
may seem very large to some, and they would natu- 
rally inquire how that could be possible. 

Now I will give you a few more facts in answer 
to that question. Many of our wealthiest men have 
made their money out of patented articles ; and the 
reason why is simply this : there is no way known by 
which a man can make so much money, in so short 
a time, as by selling a patented article that every- 
body must have. 

Now I have from twenty to thirty patents that I 
have taken out. I have several that are real genuine 
articles; and I am prepared to give agents almost 



60 

any kind of a cliance tliey want, either to go out and 
sell rights on a commission on the most liberal con- 
ditions ; or I will sell them town or county rights at 
such figures as a beginner can afford to pay, so. 
that they may have something to operate with and 
not cost them much, while they are getting the prac- 
tical part of their education. 

I am also prepared to furnish sets of blanks such' 
as agents need for selling patent rights, or canvassing 
for the manufactured article, or in clubbing, or in 
appointing agents. But it requires different forms 
of papers to sell in each of these different ways. 
Parties wishing to have me help them to either of I 
these different kinds of blanks, they can enclose one! 
dollar in a letter and send it to me by mail, directed | 
J. B. Sweetland, box 407, Pontiac, Michigan, and on I 
receipt of it, I will send by mail a complete set of I 
blanks for any way you wish to operate. You must i 
send particulars in regard to the article you wish to 
sell, and I will arrange the blanks to suit the case. 

I have also entered into an arrangement with two I 
of the best patent attorneys in the city of Washing- j 
ton, who are experts in procuring patents. Parties ; 
who wish assistance in that direction will find it to | 
their interest to call on me, at my residence, or | 



61 

address me by letter, at Poiitiac, as I am tliorouglily 
acquainted with the ways and means by which 
patents are obtained, and can get patents through on 
shorter notice than people generally know anything 
about. I pretend to say that I have frequently taken 
out patents all the way from four weeks down to one 
wxek and two days, and even in as short a time as 
two hours after the ' application v/as made. It is 
owing to what class the article is found to belong in 
when it gets to Washington. 

I also have every facility for making models, and 
making out claims and specifications ; which is a 
very essential part of the business in order to secure 
a good claim. 

I want agents all over the United States to sell 
this little book. And as there is such a demand at 
the present day for something to instruct people in 
regard to this business; and as there is nothing 
printed in the United States that throws any light 
on the subject, we think any young man can make 
from three dollars to twenty dollars per day ; and it 
will be to every man's interest to keep the contents 
of this book to himself after he has read it, because 
then he can sell one to each of his friends by telling 
them that he is agent for such a book. 



62 

I will furnish these books by the dozen, to agent? 
at a low figure. 

J. B. SWEETLAND. 

Pontiac, Oakland Co.y Mid 







j. 



